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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Winner is.....

Actually, the winner is banana and pickle. Both are equally funny (to me) in their own way, thus they have both scored spots in different manuscripts. Go fruit and vegetables!

So, I have been writing like crazy lately! I finished 3 picture book drafts, revised 2 picture book drafts, revised a novel (as well as finishing it), and (out of nowhere) wrote a very short chapter book about a space chimp! It is difficult for me to keep it all straight sometimes, and I hope I don't end up making a mangled mess of everything.

Today is "sort out" day. I've got to sort out all of the above stuff. In the frenzy of writing, I sometimes forget where I put the latest draft of something (or what I named it before I presses "save as". ) Yeah, I know, it should be easy. Just save it as draft 1 or draft 6 or whatever. Yeah, that would be great, provided I could remember how many drafts there were! (and, if I hadn't pressed some evil, magic button on my computer which no longer presents my documents in alphabetical order....or chronological order.....) So, sorting is in order. Sorting into piles.

How did my writing ever become like doing the laundry?

hrh

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Banana or Pickle?

I am working on a picture book and find myself in the interesting situation of deciding which is funnier, a banana or a pickle?

My eldest daughter said that a yodeling pickle would always be funnier than a yodeling banana (her uncle arrived at Christmas this year with a yodeling pickle, much to the delight of everyone......at first). However she pointed out that a person dressed up as a banana would always be funnier than a person dressed as a pickle.

Seeing as how the book has neither yodeling nor people in costume, I am stuck with the dilemma, banana or pickle?


I'll try them both out and let you know what is funnier.....perhaps I'll ask my royal subjects in grades 1-3 (the target audience).


hrh

Friday, March 13, 2009

The weird thing about writing is that once you truly open the flood gates, well, it's all you can think about. And the muse can become very greedy with your time. It makes me realize why I sometimes spend months disconnected to my writing....not that I don't write every day, little bits and snatches (because it's the right thing to do, as a writer and all)....but when I really connect with my writing, then nothing else matters.

And really, that can be a very difficult place to be....if you have a family, a job, a house and all that.

So, right now, the muse is being a demanding little diva. She wants all my time and attention, and is throwing tantrums of crankiness (which are manifested in my behavior) when she doesn't get her way. She's like a new baby......not only does she want to be held all the time, but I want to hold her all the time, too.

As a result, my house is messier than it has ever been (for those who have been to my house, well the answer to the question you are asking yourself is yes, it can get worse.) I am also highly disengaged in the generalities of life....I cannot remember ANYTHING because I am unable to focus on anything that I happen to be doing at any particular time. I am always thinking about my little muse.....(she's very cute...napping right now and allowing me to post this, which I will probably forget that I posted later.....) I wonder if I have a split personality because there are many things that I have no recollection of doing, that I obviously did.

Ah, the double life of a writer.

Shhhh. I need to wash yesterday's dishes before she wakes.

hrh

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Ummm.....,well,.......now what?

I have the weirdest feeling today. I think I just may have finished the first draft of a novel I have been working on for months and months. Now, it's not anywhere near finished. Never have I experienced a piece of writing in more need of revision.....not that it's bad or anything. I think it will be good. Eventually. It just isn't tight.....and I want it to be.

But what was strange was that as I was writing, I realized that there was nothing more to write. I hadn't intended to end things when I did....but then it just seemed kind of foolish to go on.

It's not a tidy ending, though, nor particularly satisfying. Again, revision is quite the necessity.

But I find myself missing it. It has been my page-a-day buddy since late July. And I don't think I am ready to revise it yet (I should wait until I have uninterrupted time (as if), maybe in a few weeks) and yet I am also not quite willing to dive into another. What to do?

Perhaps I just need to finish up a few picture book manuscripts in the mean time, until I am ready.

I don't know. It just feels weird.

hrh